Automatic progressive shed loom

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a take-up transport device for the shuttles of a progressive shed automatic loom coming out of the shed, there being used as take-up and transport means an onwardly-rotatable magazine rim for the temporary retention and onward movement of the shuttles up into the return device.

United States Patent 191 Welzel [4 June 18, 1974 AUTOMATIC PROGRESSIVE SHED LOOM [75] Inventor: Giinter Welzel, Karl-Marx-Stadt,

Germany v [73] Assignee: VEB Wirkmaschinenbau Karl-Marx-Stadt, Karl-MarX-Stadt,

Germany [22] Filed: Oct. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 298,222

[52] US. Cl. 139/12, 139/125, 139/224 R [51] Int. Cl. D03d 47/26, D03d 45/00 [58] Field of Search 139/12, 125,126 R, 224 R [56] References Cited v UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,889,076 11/1932 Mutter .l .1. 139/12 3,263,705 8/1966 Rossmann....- 139/12 3,724,508 4/1973 lekletal, 0139/12 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,098,801 1/1968 Great Britain 139/125 790,166 /1935 France 139/125 596304 5/1934 Germany 139/12 Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi Attorney, Agent, or FirmAlbert C. Nolte, 'Jr.; Ed-

ward B. Hunter; C. Bruce Hamburg 57 i 1 ABSTRACT The invention relates to a take-up transport device for the shuttles of a progressive shed automatic loom' coming outof the shed, there being used as take-up and transport means an onwardly-rotatable magazine rim for the temporary retention and onward movement of the shuttles up into the return device.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Pmimmumm 3'81?" 291 gum a'nr 4 Fig. 2

mm rzmumma v 3617291 sumzzora t 1 AUTOMATIC PROGRESSIVE SHED LOOM In'a known take-up and transport device, the take-up and transport means consists of an intermittently driven magazine rim with compartments for the uptake of the shuttles coming out of the shed. Here the drive plates for the shuttles transport each shuttle not only through the sheds, but also immediately after completed weft thread insertion into the compartments of the magazine rim. After a shuttle has been pushed into a compartment of'the magazine rim, the magazine rim is advanced by one step and the next compartment is ready to receive the next following shuttle. In the magazine rim, therefore, the shuttles receive a movement about the axis of the magazine rim. All shuttles inthe magazine rim are thereby moved step by step from the zone of the drive plates into the zone of a return device. During the sliding of the shuttle into or out of the magazine rim, the rim is at rest. Such a periodical motion of the shuttle in the magazine rim undoubtedly has the advantage that thearriving or leaving shuttle is not subjected to any crosswise movement by the rotation of the magazine rim or its transport means. Thus there exist exactly defined transfer conditions, which insure satisfactory operation.

A disadvantage of such a periodical motion of the shuttles in the magazine rim is that this take-up and transport device limits the speed of operation of the shaft-shed automatic loom. With increasing weft thread insertion speed and hence also at increasing loom speed, the switching frequency increases very considerably, leading to high mass forces in the transmission members of the gear train with all the resulting disad- V vantages such as increased wear and noise.

Another disadvantage is that the weaving roll or cylinder with its drive plates endsbefore the magazine rim. This leads to increased cost of construction, and especially it presents difficulties in safely guiding the shuttles into the compartments of the magazine rim by means of the revolving drive plates of the weaving roll.

It is an object of the invention to insure, even at highest speeds of the shaftshed automatic loom, an orderly uptake and onward movement of the shuttles from the shed up to the return device.

The problem underlying the invention is to provide a take-up and transport device for the shuttles of a shaft-shed automatic loom coming out of the shed which permits continuous operation.

According to the invention, the magazine rim serving as take-up and transport means consists of an inner fixed return drum and an outer continuously driven rotor with compartments for the shuttles to be transported. For the guiding of the shuttles a grooved cam is provided in the fixed return-drum.

According to another feature of the invention, the beginning of the grooved cam is formed to lead the shuttles in the direction of the movement of the compartment. With such a design of the beginning of the grooved cam it has become possible to impart to the shuttles not only a rotational movement about the longitudinal axis of the rotor but also a translational movement. The result of this is that the shuttles are trans ported on by a certain amount in the previously existing direction of insertion, thus making room for the next following shuttle. Thus a following shuttle can be pushed into the return drum already without the preceding shuttle having advanced by one full shuttle width on the drum circumference. To achievethis advantage at the shuttle outlet, the end of the grooved cam is, owing to another feature of the invention, formed slantwise to the running direction of the return device.

Still another feature of the invention consists in that there is provided directly in the return drum an opening through which a support mounted on the machine frame extends.

According to a further feature of the invention at the same time also the shaft of the weaving roll is passed through a bore in the return drum. It thus becomes possible to utilize this shaft outside the zone of the drive plates for the drive of the magazine rim.

The rotor of the magazine rim is mounted for rotational movement between two bearingdisks and the bearing disks are secured by means of bolts engaging through the. return drum. Between the bearing disks and the return drum, on both sides, spacer disks are provided on the screw bolts, which permit easy rotational movement of the rotor.

Owing to another feature of the invention, the rotor has a ring of gear teeth by which it is driven by a pinion and a gear train from the shaft of the weaving roll. The mounting of theshaft of the weaving roll permits a reliable guiding of the shuttles into the return drum through the drive plates of the weaving roll. 7

According to another feature of the invention, each compartment in the return drum has in the direction of rotation a lift-out slant and in the zone of the return device cooperating with a fixed take-up surface. Above this take-up surface, according to a further feature of the invention, a recess is provided. in the-return drum for the temporary uptake of that shuttle which is to be transported away by'the return device.

With the new take-up and transport device a continuous'movement becomes possible for the shuttles coming out of the shed. All shuttles are taken up positively and transported to the return device, where they are lifted out, again positively.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the takeup and transport device for the shuttles coming out of the shed;

FIG. 2, a section along line A-A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a partial section along line A--A of FIG. 1, the shuttle being raised in return position;

FIG. 4, a parial longitudinal section through the lower part of the take-up and transport device with a shuttle seized by the return device; 7

FIG. 5, a generation of the return drum in the zone of the shuttle path.

The shuttles 1 comingout of the last formed shed of and automatic progressive shed loom are moved by the drive plates 2 of the weaving roll in a magazine rim. This magazine rim serves for the temporary retention and onward movement of the shuttles 1 into a return device still to be explained. All drive plates 2 have in known manner segment type projections for the drive of the shuttles 1 and preferably also for beating the weft thread against the fabric edge. For the execution of these two functions the drive plates 2 are fastened in phase displacement on shaft 3 of the weaving roll.

The magazine rim consists of an inner fixed return drum 4 and an outer, continuously driven rotor 5. Compartments are provided between the return drum 4 and rotor 5 for the uptake of the shuttles 1 to be transported. For the guiding of the shuttles 1 the fixed return drum 4 has a grooved cam 7. As is evident from FIG. 1 and 5, the beginning 8 of the grooved cam 7 is formed slantwise to the running direction of the arriving shuttles 1. By such a design the shuttles 1 receive not only a rotational movement about the longitudinal axis of rotor 5, but also a translational movement. As a result of this oblique form of the groove cam 7 at the beginning 8, before a shuttle 1 is completely inserted by its full width, the next following shuttle 1 can already get into the grooved cam 7 of the return drum 4. Due to the revolving movement of rotor 5, all shuttles l are successively moved to the return device.

For the suspension of theretum drum 4 in the wall 9 of the machine frame a support 10 is provided which engages through a cut-out 11 in the return drum 4. In the return drum 4 there is also formed a bore 12, through which passes the shaft 3 of the weaving roll. The bore 12 for shaft 3 of the weaving roll is arranged eccentrically to the return drum 4. This structural arrangement has led to the use of a fixed return drum 4. It is an advantage of such an arrangement that shaft 3 of the weaving roll can be mounted outside the zone of the drive plates 2. This permits a low cost of construction and a reliable. guiding of the shuttles 1 into the grooved cam 7 of the return drum 4. A further advantage then is at the same time that shaft 3 of the weaving roll can be utilized for the drive of rotor 5. The suspension of shaft 3 of the weaving roll occurs in the bearing wall 9. By means of a key 13, a gear 14 is secured on the free end of shaft 3 of the weaving roll. This gear 14 meshes with another gear 15, which is connected rotationally fast with the shaft by keys 18, 19. This shaft 16 is again mounted in a bore in the bearing wall 9. The eccentric suspension of shaft 3 of the weaving roll has led to the use of a fixed return drum 4. At the same time, however, this measure necessitated a revolving rotor 5, which provides for the onward movement of the arrived'shuttles 1. To achieve this necessary revolving movement of the rotor 5, the latter possesses at the same time a circumferential tooth system 20 in engagement with the pinion 17. Thus, at rotating shaft 3 of the weaving roll, the rotor 5 is moved onward via the gear train l4, l5 and the pinion 17. The rotor 5 is guided in its rotational movement between two bearing disks 2], 22. Both bearing disks 2], 22 are retained by bolts 23 to 25. These screw bolts 23 to 25 also pass through the return drum 4 in bores 26 to 28. To permit easy rotational mobility of the rotor 5, spacer bushings 29 to 31 are provided on the screw bolts 23 to 25 between the bearing disks 21, 22 and the return drum 4. The screw bolts 24 to 25 are retained on the bearing wall 9 by means of nuts 32 to 34. Each cut-out 6 in the motor 5 lies between two driving elements 35 fastened in the rotor 5. The distance between two driving elements 35 is taken so that just one shuttle 1 is reliably guided by its wide side. As is evident fromFlGS. 2 and 3, the distance between two driving elements 35 corresponds to the width of one shuttle l and as a result, a positive onward movement is insured by the grooved cam 7, the return drum 4, and the revolving rotor 5.

Each driving element 35 has in directionof rotation further a lift-out slant 36, and in the zone of the return device there is further a fixed take-up surface 37. Above the take-up surface 37 recess 38 is provided in the return drum 4. The shuttles l arriving in the zone of the return device are successively lifted into the recess 38. In so doing they leave the zone between two driving elements 35 and thus no longer participate in a further revolving movement of rotor 5. The lift-out movement of shuttle 1 is caused by the take-up surface 37 and the lift-out slant 36 at the driving element 35. FIG. 2 shows how shuttle 1 has run onto the take-up surface 37 up to the stop 39. With the further revolving movement the lift-out slant 36 at the driving element 35 brings about a furtherlifting out of the shuttle 1 into the position shown in FIG. 3. As soon as shuttle 1 has reached this position, the return device can take over the removal of the shuttle 1. The return device consists essentially of a revolving return chain 40 with drive dogs 41 arranged at intervals. In FIG. 1 is shown a position how a dog 41 approaches the shuttle 1. ln the position shown in FIG. 4, such a dog 41 of the return chain 40 has seized a shuttle 1 and pushes it through the return channel 42.

These shuttles 1 present in the return channel 42 are positively guidedto the opposite loom side by the drive dogs 41 with return chain 411. There these shuttles 1 again receive weft material in known manner beforey they are supplied to the weaving process again. By means of the revolving drive plates 2, the shuttles 1 pass through all shaft sheds of the warp threads, not shown, until they get into the zone of the magazinerim again. The shuttles 1 then pass through the grooved cam 7 again by means of the drive element 35 and get to the return device again.

The end 43 of the grooved cam 7 in the return drum 4 is formed slantwise to the running direction of the outgoing shuttles 1. Thus again the shuttles 1 receive not only a rotational but also a translational movement. This again has the advantage that a following shuttle 1 can get into the vicinity of the leaving position without the preceding shuttle 1 having been transferred to the return device.

With the new take-up and transport device there is thus insured a continuous transport of all shuttles 1 coming out of the shed. in the practice it has been found to be an advantage above all that thus the movement of all shuttles 1 occur positively.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic progressive shed loom comprising a" device for receiving shuttles leaving the shed and transferring them to a return device for movement across the loom, said receiving and transferring device comprising a fixed return drum having a shuttle receiving station adjacent an end of a shuttle path, and a return station; and a rotor, said rotor being coaxial with and surrounding the drum and rotatable about an axis parallel to said shuttle path, said rotor having a plurality of compartments adjacent the drum and means for rotating the rotor whereby a shuttle received in a compartment at the receiving station is transported to said return station therein.

2. A loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drum has a peripheral groove opening at an edge of the drum adjacent an end of a shuttle path, said opening constituting the shuttle receiving station whereby a shuttle enters a compartment through said opening.

3. A loom as claimed in claim 2 wherein said groove is defined at said opening by a wall inclined from said edge of the drum in the direction of movement of a compartment therepast.

4. A loom as claimed in claim 2 wherein said groove opens at an edge of the drum below a warp path and at the return station whereby shuttle exits from the groove at said return station.

weaving shaft.

6. A loom as claimed in claim 5 wherein said weaving shaft extends through an opening in said drum.

7. A loom as claimed in claim 11 wherein said return 5. A loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means 5 station is disposed below said shuttle path.

for rotating the rotor comprises means for driving the 

1. An automatic progressive shed loom comprising a device for receiving shuttles leaving the shed and transferring them to a return device for movement across the loom, said receiving and transferring device comprising a fixed return drum having a shuttle receiving station adjacent an end of a shuttle path, and a return station; and a rotor, said rotor being coaxial with and surrounding the drum and rotatable about an axis parallel to said shuttle path, said rotor having a plurality of compartments adjacent the drum and means for rotating the rotor whereby a shuttle received in a compartment at the receiving station is transported to said return station therein.
 2. A loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drum has a peripheral groove opening at an edge of the drum adjacent an end of a shuttle path, said opening constituting the shuttle receiving station whereby a shuttle enters a compartment through said opening.
 3. A loom as claimed in claim 2 wherein said groove is defined at said opening by a wall inclined from said edge of the drum in the direction of movement of a compartment therepast.
 4. A loom as claimed in claim 2 wherein said groove opens at an edge of the drum below a warp path and at the return station whereby shuttle exits from the groove at said return station.
 5. A loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for rotating the rotor comprises means for driving the weaving shaft.
 6. A loom as claimed in claim 5 wherein said weaving shaft extends through an opening in said drum.
 7. A loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said return station is disposed below said shuttle path. 